A key part of ACCO’s mission is education, & we concentrate on two types of outreach: large forums open to the public, & small group meetings organized at a community—or a building—level.
Forums
ACCO Forums are large-scale public gatherings aimed at all co-op shareholders & condo owners, including Board members. The objective is to: a) provide cursory education & orientation on many basic facts of apartment ownership & governance, & b) allow attendees to pose questions to the expert panel.
Panelists at ACCO forums always include attorneys with extensive experience handling a wide range of condo & co-op matters by many means, including litigation. While many lawyers spend at least some time on each side of the “fence,” we typically feature one attorney who primarily represents associations & Boards, & one who usually represents individual owners/shareholders. The strong focus is on providing a balanced perspective on the issues.
Depending on the audience, we may also include legal experts from the office of the Attorney General, to speak—& field questions—on the particular matters in their purview.
Most ACCO forums are co-sponsored by local elected officials, including state senators, state assemblymembers, city councilmembers, town supervisors & mayors. These officials, being familiar with their constituents, often serve as moderators.
Owners desiring a co-op / condo forum in their community may proceed in two ways:
- Contact any of your own elected officials & say: “please sponsor an ACCO Co-op & Condo Forum in our neighborhood or town.”
- Write to ACCO: forums[at]condocoopowners.org
Check these press reviews of recent ACCO forums:
UWS Manhattan Forum Report: brickunderground.com Feb ’11
Jackson Heights Forum report: QueensBuzz Dec ’10
Can’t get to a Forum? See the video!
“Coffee & Co-ops” / “Coffee & Condos”
[under revision]